The Boston Tea Party: Why Did It Occur and Who Was Involved? The Boston Tea Party: Why Did It Occur and Who Was Involved? by Pamela Kline and Paul Pavao Why did the Boston Tea Party Occur? Who was involved? We cover these facts and more on this page on one of the most momentous events of the American Revolution. The broadside below was posted all over Boston on November 29, 1773, shortly after the arrival of three ships carrying tea owned by the East India Company. This is the original handbill that was passed out to organize the Boston Tea Party. It reads ... Brethren, and Fellow Citizens! You may depend, that those odious Miscreants and detestable Tools to Ministry and Governor, the TEA CONSIGNEES, (those traitors to their Country, Butchers, who have done, and are doing every Thing to Murder and destroy all that shall stand in the Way of their private Interest,) are determined to come and reside again in the Town of Boston. I therefore give you this early Notice, that you may hold yourselves in Readiness, on the shortest Notice, to give them such a Reception, as such vile Ingrates deserve.

JOYCE, jun. (Chairman of the Committee for Tarring and Feathering.) If any Person should be so hardy as to Tear this down, they may expect my severest Resentment. J. jun. Why Did the Boston Tea Party Occur? The beginning of the the Boston Tea Party is often sourced to what the Colonists felt was an unfair tax on tea. This is only partly true. The Tea Party was a protest in reaction to a tax meant to help raise funds following the French and Indian War. But the tax was also a political power move on behalf of Parliament, meant to reassert control over the colonies, as well as an economic decision designed to bail out the floundering East India Company, a threshold of English commercial interests. Background After the long and costly war between France and England, King George III and the British Parliament implemented a tax to help raise money to pay off the massive debts incurred. They chose to place this tax on tea sold in both England and in the English Colonies. They were convinced that people would rather pay a tax than give up their daily tea. It was also an item that the colonies were required to import only from England.

Furthermore, the tax was a way to reign in the colonies, who had been neglected during the long war, and remind them that their allegiance belonged to England. This Sugar Act was passed in 1764 imposing customs duties on several different items, including tea. Prime Minister Grenville wanted to raise the revenue by putting a direct tax on the colonists instead of at the ports, so he delayed to give the colonists a chance to find a way to raise funds themselves. They didn't. The following year, the Stamp Act was passed. All official documents and papers were required to have an official stamp. The cost of this stamp went directly to the crown. The colonists were outraged. They complained bitterly that because of their distance from England, they were receiving inadequate representation in Parliament. They had not agreed to have these new taxes placed on their colonies. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed, but not before the Sons of Liberty had formed and begun to perform public demonstrations and boycott, sometimes with violence and looting. The Colonists were frustrated by the number of taxes Parliament kept trying to place on them without their consent.

In 1767, the Townshend Acts rocked the colonies when they replaced the Stamp Act with an import duty on all kinds of essential goods. Parliament mistakenly thought the colonies objected to only internal taxes or purchases like the objects described in the Stamp Act, and that import taxes wouldn't be a problem. Parliament then offered a monopoly on tea importation to the colonies to the East India Company , who in turn raised their price on tea. The tea sold in the colonies wouldn't have a tax any more, instead it would be taxed at each individual port, and agents were appointed to receive and sell the tea and pay the tax. This was the Tea Act, passed by the British parliament on May 10, 1773. This was an attempt by the British government to prop up the failing Dutch East India Company. It reduced taxes and removed all duties on the exportation of East India Company tea. However, even when the tea tax was lowered with the Indemnity Act, the colonists protested, not because of the price, but on the principle that they were not required to pay taxes placed on them without their consent.

It's often overlooked that the people in England were under the same laws and taxes and were smuggling tea, even more than the American Colonies were. The thing that upset the colonists the most was they felt they were unrepresented, unheard, and exploited by an "evil" Parliament. When the taxes weren't removed, some of the colonists made a small fortune on smuggled tea, including John Hancock . When the smuggling didn't stop and neither did the violence caused by the Sons of Liberty, British troops were deployed to Boston. Their presence was unwelcome and only added to the hostility the colonists were feeling against the crown. The hostility rose until it came to a head with the inaccurately named Boston Massacre when five people died. This was used as propaganda in the newspapers, fostering the unrest and increasing the tension. The colonists were convinced that these Acts were an attempt to undermine colonial businesses. Nor were they in a compromising mood. They were angry over the Boston Massacre. Most of them stopped drinking tea altogether because while the Townshend Acts had been rescinded earlier in the year, its duties on tea were still in force. Britain dropped the price of tea until the smuggled tea was actually more expensive than the regular tea.

Those who were making a profit on smuggled tea continued to do so, but now it became less about saving money, and more in the name of protest for the colonists' rights to "taxation without representation." In New York and Philadelphia, the colonists refused to let the boats land, and they returned to England. In Charleston, protests were so rampant that customs officials were able to seize all the tea. In 1772, the Indemnity Act dropping the price on tea expired, and left the Townshend tax on tea. Consumers faltered at the sudden jump in the price of tea, but the East India Company continued to import it. Even though the company was failing, Parliament refused to back down regarding their right to tax the colonies. Furthermore, this tax paid the salaries of Parliament-appointed government officials, and they were loathe to allow those officials to be reliant on the colonists for their salaries, for fear it would drive them to be more supportive of their cause. The Tea Party The biggest shipment arrived in Griffin's wharf, in Boston on or just before November 29, 1773.

The royal governor Thomas Hutchinson had no intention of letting the colonists force the ships to return to England, and due to the Boycott, the dockworkers refused to unload the ship. He held the ships in port, demanding that the cargo be unloaded and customs duties paid. But the colonists, already stirred to action, were unwilling to bear the stalemate. On December 16, "there was a meeting of the citizens of the county of Suffolk, convened at one of the churches in Boston, for the purpose of consulting on what measures might be considered expedient to prevent the landing of the tea, or secure the people from the collection of the duty. At that meeting a committee was appointed to wait on Governor Hutchinson, and request him to inform them whether he would take any measures to satisfy the people on the object of the meeting." 1 The Governor promised an answer by 5 pm, but when the appointed time came, the committee met at the Governor's house, and he was missing."Let every man do his duty, and be true to his country," 2 cried the members and dissolved the meeting.

Boston Tea Party picture by Sarony and Major, 1846 | Public domain image The Events of the Boston Tea Party That night, over 100 men including the Sons of Liberty dressed in "Indian" garb, or rather, the poncho and soot streaks soldiers wore during the French and Indian War. They armed themselves with hatchets, axes, and pistols, and sneaked aboard the ships. Accounts actually vary from 30 to 130. Bostonteapartyship.com maintains a list of 116 names culled from various historical reports. An observer of the Boston Tea Party, John Andrews wrote the following in 1773: textbox>"They say the actors were Indians... Whether they were or not to a transient observer they appear'd as such, being cloth'd in blankets with the heads muffled and copper color'd countenances, each being arm'd with a hatchet or ax, and pair pistols, nor was their dialect different from what I conceive these geniusses to speak, as their jargon was unintelligible to all but themselves." 3 Three ships with their cargo of precious teas lay in Boston harbor, their captains unaware of the colonists' approach.

The clothing was both to keep their identities hidden (because they were committing a treasonous crime) and symbolic: to show England that they were beginning to identify themselves as Americans, not British subjects. On reaching the pier, they divided into three groups and several men took charge. No one knew the names of their co-conspirators, nor did they know the names of the other commanders besides their own. They boarded the ships and demanded the keys to the hatch from the captains. The men were under strict orders to cause no harm to anyone and to carry out the rebellious act in an oxymoronic orderly fashion. Soon the chopping of boxes could be heard on the sleeping ships. The chests were torn open and the contents thrown into the Boston Harbor. Tea leaves scattered everywhere. Some of the patriots tried grabbed up some of the loose tea and stuffed it into their pockets for their own families and personal use. The Sons tried to stop them, but at least one man managed to escape their custody and run through the crowd with his pockets stuffed with tea, even though each person either kicked or hit him as he passed by. Another man, much older, was seen filling his hat with tea, but the Sons grabbed his hat and wig and threw them overboard.

Because of his age, he was allowed to escape. No one was hurt, and aside from the tea, the only damage recorded was one broken padlock. The ships and their crews were unharmed and the Sons of Liberty pulled off the organized protest without being injured or arrested except for one man. Just as quickly as they had come, the men were gone. "We then quietly retired to our several places of residence, without having any conversation with each other, or taking any measures to discover who were our associates; nor do I recollect of our having had the knowledge of the name of a single individual concerned in that affair, except that of Leonard Pitt, the commander of my division, whom I have mentioned. There appeared to be an understanding that each individual should volunteer his services, keep his own secret, and risk the consequence for himself. No disorder took place during that transaction, and it was observed at that time that the stillest night ensued that Boston had enjoyed for many months. 4 In their wake lay almost 100,000 pounds of tea, worth 9,000 pounds sterling, or almost $1.5 million in today's money. This act became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party engraving by W.D. Cooper in his book The History of North America from 1789 | Public domain image. The following morning, boats were sent out to beat the remaining floating tea down with paddles until it was completely drenched and unusable. Who Was Involved in the Boston Tea Party? The most well-known name involved in the Boston Tea Party was that of Paul Revere . However, several other participants were noteworthy. Samuel Cooper, just 16 in 1773, would go on to become a major in the continental army and fight numerous battles. George Hewes, age 31, had been injured in the Boston Massacre after being struck by a rifle. He led one of the parties and wrote an account of the raid ... It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea.

When I first appeared in the street after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination. ( The Boston Tea Party Historical Society , from which we obtained this quote, has extensive information on the colonial raid.) George Hewes was rejected as a soldier and did not fight in the revolutionary war. Thomas Crafts, Jr., however, another participant in the Boston Tea Party, became a member of Major Paddock's famous Paddock's Artillery Company and attained the rank of colonel in the continental army. The patriot organization, the Sons of Liberty, provided the most participants that November night. It's also fascinating that of those involved in the protest whose ages are known, two-thirds were under 20 years of age. Final Comments The Boston Tea Party was an act of rebellion from which the strained relationship between Britain and the colonies would never recover. The captains of the three ships were summoned to the privy council, but were unable to identify any of the people involved with the Boston Tea Party. The Coercive Acts (or "Intolerable") acts followed swiftly to punish the colony of Massachusetts.

The British closed down the port with the Boston Port Act until the city of Boston paid the damages. and within a year the Americans would convene the first Continental Congress to organize the protest against Britain. Boston Massacre The History Place - American Revolution: Prelude to Revolution Prelude to Revolution 1763 to 1775 1763 - The Proclamation of 1763, signed by King George III of England, prohibits any English settlement west of the Appalachian mountains and requires those already settled in those regions to return east in an attempt to ease tensions with Native Americans. 1764 - The Sugar Act is passed by the English Parliament to offset the war debt brought on by the French and Indian War and to help pay for the expenses of running the colonies and newly acquired territories. This act increases the duties on imported sugar and other items such as textiles, coffee, wines and indigo (dye). It doubles the duties on foreign goods reshipped from England to the colonies and also forbids the import of foreign rum and French wines. 1764 - The English Parliament passes a measure to reorganize the American customs system to better enforce British trade laws, which have often been ignored in the past.

A court is established in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that will have jurisdiction over all of the American colonies in trade matters. 1764 - The Currency Act prohibits the colonists from issuing any legal tender paper money. This act threatens to destabilize the entire colonial economy of both the industrial North and agricultural South, thus uniting the colonists against it. 1764 - In May, at a town meeting in Boston, James Otis raises the issue of taxation without representation and urges a united response to the recent acts imposed by England. In July, Otis publishes "The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved." In August, Boston merchants begin a boycott of British luxury goods. 1765 - In March, the Stamp Act is passed by the English Parliament imposing the first direct tax on the American colonies, to offset the high costs of the British military organization in America. Thus for the first time in the 150 year old history of the British colonies in America, the Americans will pay tax not to their own local legislatures in America, but directly to England.

Under the Stamp Act, all printed materials are taxed, including; newspapers, pamphlets, bills, legal documents, licenses, almanacs, dice and playing cards. The American colonists quickly unite in opposition, led by the most influential segments of colonial society - lawyers, publishers, land owners, ship builders and merchants - who are most affected by the Act, which is scheduled to go into effect on November 1. 1765 - Also in March, the Quartering Act requires colonists to house British troops and supply them with food. 1765 - In May, in Virginia, Patrick Henry presents seven Virginia Resolutions to the House of Burgesses claiming that only the Virginia assembly can legally tax Virginia residents, saying, "If this be treason, make the most of it." Also in May, the first medical school in America is founded, in Philadelphia. 1765 - In July, the Sons of Liberty, an underground organization opposed to the Stamp Act, is formed in a number of colonial towns. Its members use violence and intimidation to eventually force all of the British stamp agents to resign and also stop many American merchants from ordering British trade goods.

1765 - August 26, a mob in Boston attacks the home of Thomas Hutchinson, Chief Justice of Massachusetts, as Hutchinson and his family narrowly escape. 1765 - In October, the Stamp Act Congress convenes in New York City, with representatives from nine of the colonies. The Congress prepares a resolution to be sent to King George III and the English Parliament. The petition requests the repeal of the Stamp Act and the Acts of 1764. The petition asserts that only colonial legislatures can tax colonial residents and that taxation without representation violates the colonists' basic civil rights. 1765 - On November 1, most daily business and legal transactions in the colonies cease as the Stamp Act goes into effect with nearly all of the colonists refusing to use the stamps. In New York City, violence breaks out as a mob burns the royal governor in effigy, harasses British troops, then loots houses. 1765 - In December, British General Thomas Gage, commander of all English military forces in America, asks the New York assembly to make colonists comply with the Quartering Act and house and supply his troops.

Also in December, the American boycott of English imports spreads, as over 200 Boston merchants join the movement. 1766 - In January, the New York assembly refuses to completely comply with Gen. Gage's request to enforce the Quartering Act. 1766 - In March, King George III signs a bill repealing the Stamp Act after much debate in the English Parliament, which included an appearance by Ben Franklin arguing for repeal and warning of a possible revolution in the American colonies if the Stamp Act was enforced by the British military. 1766 - On the same day it repealed the Stamp Act, the English Parliament passes the Declaratory Act stating that the British government has total power to legislate any laws governing the American colonies in all cases whatsoever. 1766 - In April, news of the repeal of the Stamp Act results in celebrations in the colonies and a relaxation of the boycott of imported English trade goods. 1766 - In August, violence breaks out in New York between British soldiers and armed colonists, including Sons of Liberty members. The violence erupts as a result of the continuing refusal of New York colonists to comply with the Quartering Act.

In December, the New York legislature is suspended by the English Crown after once again voting to refuse to comply with the Act. 1767 - In June, The English Parliament passes the Townshend Revenue Acts, imposing a new series of taxes on the colonists to offset the costs of administering and protecting the American colonies. Items taxed include imports such as paper, tea, glass, lead and paints. The Act also establishes a colonial board of customs commissioners in Boston. In October, Bostonians decide to reinstate a boycott of English luxury items. 1768 - In February, Samuel Adams of Massachusetts writes a Circular Letter opposing taxation without representation and calling for the colonists to unite in their actions against the British government. The letter is sent to assemblies throughout the colonies and also instructs them on the methods the Massachusetts general court is using to oppose the Townshend Acts. 1768 - In April, England's Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Hillsborough, orders colonial governors to stop their own assemblies from endorsing Adams' circular letter. Hillsborough also orders the governor of Massachusetts to dissolve the general court if the Massachusetts assembly does not revoke the letter.

By month's end, the assemblies of New Hampshire, Connecticut and New Jersey have endorsed the letter. 1768 - In May, a British warship armed with 50 cannons sails into Boston harbor after a call for help from custom commissioners who are constantly being harassed by Boston agitators. In June, a customs official is locked up in the cabin of the Liberty, a sloop owned by John Hancock. Imported wine is then unloaded illegally into Boston without payment of duties. Following this incident, customs officials seize Hancock's sloop. After threats of violence from Bostonians, the customs officials escape to an island off Boston, then request the intervention of British troops. 1768 - In July, the governor of Massachusetts dissolves the general court after the legislature defies his order to revoke Adams' circular letter. In August, in Boston and New York, merchants agree to boycott most British goods until the Townshend Acts are repealed. In September, at a town meeting in Boston, residents are urged to arm themselves. Later in September, English warships sail into Boston Harbor, then two regiments of English infantry land in Boston and set up permanent residence to keep order.

1769 - In March, merchants in Philadelphia join the boycott of British trade goods. In May, a set of resolutions written by George Mason is presented by George Washington to the Virginia House of Burgesses. The Virginia Resolves oppose taxation without representation, the British opposition to the circular letters, and British plans to possibly send American agitators to England for trial. Ten days later, the Royal governor of Virginia dissolves the House of Burgesses. However, its members meet the next day in a Williamsburg tavern and agree to a boycott of British trade goods, luxury items and slaves. 1769 - In July, in the territory of California, San Diego is founded by Franciscan Friar Juniper Serra. In October, the boycott of English goods spreads to New Jersey, Rhode Island, and then North Carolina. 1770 - The population of the American colonies reaches 2,210,000 persons. 1770 - Violence erupts in January between members of the Sons of Liberty in New York and 40 British soldiers over the posting of broadsheets by the British. Several men are seriously wounded.

March 5, 1770 - The Boston Massacre occurs as a mob harasses British soldiers who then fire their muskets pointblank into the crowd, killing three instantly, mortally wounding two others and injuring six. After the incident, the new Royal Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, at the insistence of Sam Adams, withdraws British troops out of Boston to nearby harbor islands. The captain of the British soldiers, Thomas Preston, is then arrested along with eight of his men and charged with murder. 1770 - In April, the Townshend Acts are repealed by the British. All duties on imports into the colonies are eliminated except for tea. Also, the Quartering Act is not renewed. 1770 - In October, trial begins for the British soldiers arrested after the Boston Massacre. Colonial lawyers John Adams and Josiah Quincy successfully defend Captain Preston and six of his men, who are acquitted. Two other soldiers are found guilty of manslaughter, branded, then released. 1772 - In June, a British customs schooner, the Gaspee, runs aground off Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay.

Colonists from Providence row out to the schooner and attack it, set the British crew ashore, then burn the ship. In September, a 500 pound reward is offered by the English Crown for the capture of those colonists, who would then be sent to England for trial. The announcement that they would be sent to England further upsets many American colonists. 1772 - In November, a Boston town meeting assembles, called by Sam Adams. During the meeting, a 21 member committee of correspondence is appointed to communicate with other towns and colonies. A few weeks later, the town meeting endorses three radical proclamations asserting the rights of the colonies to self-rule. 1773 - In March, the Virginia House of Burgesses appoints an eleven member committee of correspondence to communicate with the other colonies regarding common complaints against the British. Members of that committee include, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee. Virginia is followed a few months later by New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and South Carolina. 1773 - May 10, the Tea Act takes effect.

It maintains a threepenny per pound import tax on tea arriving in the colonies, which had already been in effect for six years. It also gives the near bankrupt British East India Company a virtual tea monopoly by allowing it to sell directly to colonial agents, bypassing any middlemen, thus underselling American merchants. The East India Company had successfully lobbied Parliament for such a measure. In September, Parliament authorizes the company to ship half a million pounds of tea to a group of chosen tea agents. 1773 - In October, colonists hold a mass meeting in Philadelphia in opposition to the tea tax and the monopoly of the East India Company. A committee then forces British tea agents to resign their positions. In November, a town meeting is held in Boston endorsing the actions taken by Philadelphia colonists. Bostonians then try, but fail, to get their British tea agents to resign. A few weeks later, three ships bearing tea sail into Boston harbor. 1773 - November 29/30, two mass meetings occur in Boston over what to do about the tea aboard the three ships now docked in Boston harbor. Colonists decide to send the tea on the ship, Dartmouth, back to England without paying any import duties.

The Royal Governor of Massachusetts, Hutchinson, is opposed to this and orders harbor officials not to let the ship sail out of the harbor unless the tea taxes have been paid. December 16, 1773 - About 8000 Bostonians gather to hear Sam Adams tell them Royal Governor Hutchinson has repeated his command not to allow the ships out of the harbor until the tea taxes are paid. That night, the Boston Tea Party occurs as colonial activists disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians then board the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the harbor. 1774 - In March, an angry English Parliament passes the first of a series of Coercive Acts (called Intolerable Acts by Americans) in response to the rebellion in Massachusetts. The Boston Port Bill effectively shuts down all commercial shipping in Boston harbor until Massachusetts pays the taxes owed on the tea dumped in the harbor and also reimburses the East India Company for the loss of the tea. 1774 - May 12, Bostonians at a town meeting call for a boycott of British imports in response to the Boston Port Bill.

May 13, General Thomas Gage, commander of all British military forces in the colonies, arrives in Boston and replaces Hutchinson as Royal governor, putting Massachusetts under military rule. He is followed by the arrival of four regiments of British troops. 1774 - May 17-23, colonists in Providence, New York and Philadelphia begin calling for an intercolonial congress to overcome the Coercive Acts and discuss a common course of action against the British. 1774 - May 20, The English Parliament enacts the next series of Coercive Acts, which include the Massachusetts Regulating Act and the Government Act virtually ending any self-rule by the colonists there. Instead, the English Crown and the Royal governor assume political power formerly exercised by colonists. Also enacted; the Administration of Justice Act which protects royal officials in Massachusetts from being sued in colonial courts, and the Quebec Act establishing a centralized government in Canada controlled by the Crown and English Parliament. The Quebec Act greatly upsets American colonists by extending the southern boundary of Canada into territories claimed by Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia.

1774 - In June, a new version of the 1765 Quartering Act is enacted by the English Parliament requiring all of the American colonies to provide housing for British troops in occupied houses and taverns and in unoccupied buildings. In September, Massachusetts Governor Gage seizes that colony's arsenal of weapons at Charlestown. 1774 - September 5 to October 26, the First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia with 56 delegates, representing every colony, except Georgia. Attendants include Patrick Henry, George Washington, Sam Adams and John Hancock. On September 17, the Congress declares its opposition to the Coercive Acts, saying they are "not to be obeyed," and also promotes the formation of local militia units. On October 14, a Declaration and Resolves is adopted that opposes the Coercive Acts, the Quebec Act, and other measure taken by the British that undermine self-rule. The rights of the colonists are asserted, including the rights to "life, liberty and property." On October 20, the Congress adopts the Continental Association in which delegates agree to a boycott of English imports, effect an embargo of exports to Britain, and discontinue the slave trade.

1775 - February 1, in Cambridge, Mass., a provincial congress is held during which John Hancock and Joseph Warren begin defensive preparations for a state of war. February 9, the English Parliament declares Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion. March 23, in Virginia, Patrick Henry delivers a speech against British rule, stating, "Give me liberty or give me death!" March 30, the New England Restraining Act is endorsed by King George III, requiring New England colonies to trade exclusively with England and also bans fishing in the North Atlantic. 1775 - In April, Massachusetts Governor Gage is ordered to enforce the Coercive Acts and suppress "open rebellion" among the colonists by all necessary force. Copyright © 1998 The History Place All Rights Reserved History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty” vs. Reality | Dave Benner History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty” vs. Reality 7 comments Founding Fathers , History History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty” was an excellent opportunity to tell the tale of the events that drove Massachusetts against the crown, setting the stage for independence. Unfortunately, it is a highly fictionalized account that gets much wrong.

It is filled with myths, dramatized character assassinations, false hyperbole, and relevant omissions. Ultimately, it fails to shed light on important historical events. The following does not address all inaccuracies of this program, only the ones I felt were most significant. It is a candid attempt to separate fact from fiction, and provide a more complete viewpoint for those that are actually interested in learning about this period. Episode 1: “A Dangerous Game” History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Samuel Adams is portrayed as a young, rowdy criminal who hangs out at pubs. He uses his position as a tax collector to protect his friends. He openly flirts with his cousin’s wife. Reality: It is true that Samuel Adams failed to collect taxes from many people (which added to his popularity), but he actually filed suit against several delinquent taxpayers. Adam’s political opponents even attacked him for doing this; given the commonplace stance that the taxes that were levied were unconstitutional under Britain’s constitutional system. Adams was elected as a tax collector by his town hall, not appointed by the governor. Adams was never served a warrant, as is shown.

Additionally, Adams was much older at this point (43) than is portrayed, is married to his second wife, and there is no good evidence to suggest that he was a heavy drinker that hung out in local pubs. There is no evidence to suggest that he ever flirted with his cousin’s wife. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Thomas Hutchinson, the Royal Governor of Massachusetts, is introduced. Reality: Hutchinson, who is portrayed as the Royal Governor, did not obtain this position until 1769. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” The Sons of Liberty take Hutchinson’s house in response to the warrant for Samuel Adams’ arrest. Reality: Hutchinson’s household was taken in reaction to the Stamp Act, not in response to Samuel Adams’ fictional warrant. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” British soldiers shut down newspapers, arrest popular patriot leaders for acts of insubordination, and stifled political demonstrations in Boston. Reality: There is no evidence to suggest that British soldiers shut down newspapers, arrested any popular patriot leaders, or stopped any peaceful demonstrations in 1765. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Benjamin Franklin was kicked out of the colonies and sent to London.

Reality: Benjamin Franklin was not “kicked out of the colonies,” as the show portrays. He was in London in 1765, but he went voluntarily in attempt to convince the king to allow Pennsylvania to be considered as a royal colony and to raise his objections to the Stamp Act. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” John Hancock attempts to enlist Samuel Adams for assistance in smuggling wine without paying taxes, just so he can get back at Gage. Reality: The show makes reference to an 1768 event in which Hancock paid duties on 25 pipes of wine, but the British suspected that he had additional wine unloaded during the nighttime. This led to a highly publicized trial in which John Adams defended Hancock against the accusations. The charges against Hancock were eventually dropped. Also, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Samuel Adams was involved in any way, whether or not the incident actually occurred. Smuggling was a colonial reaction to unconstitutional duties levied upon goods. The practice did occur, but Hancock’s guilt cannot be definitively established based on the evidence available, and historians debate the issue to this day.

History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” On King Street, a small group of soldiers fires into a small mob of Bostonians. Reality: In the real incident, there was a larger mob of people on the street. There were also more British soldiers, and a captain (Thomas Preston), who most likely did not give any order to fire. Most historical narratives seem to suggest that the order to “fire” was misinterpreted by the British soldiers as an order, but actually came from challenges made by the looming crowd. Five died (including one boy who died to his wounds 10 years later), and six others were injured. No Bostonians beat British soldiers with clubs, but they were accused of throwing rocks at them. Sam Adams was not there, and he also did not beat a British soldier with a club. John Adams represented the men accused of murder, and they were acquitted. While this incident was a contributing event that set the course for independence, Adams had reason to believe that harsh retaliation against the British soldiers would actually damage the patriot cause. Episode 2: “The Uprising” History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Sam Adams gives a signal for his followers to move toward the harbor from a street alley.

In doing so, Adams threatens and his followers threaten to shoot several redcoats who attempt to stop him. Adams starts throwing tea over the edge. He is threatened to be shot by a redcoat, but the he is convinced not to so that Sam Adams cannot be made into a martyr. Sam Adams and his group continue to dump all of the tea into the harbor. The patriots participating in this event do not attempt to hide their identity in any way. Reality: On the night of the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams was conducting a meeting of about 7,000 people in the Old South Meeting House in Boston. Before the culmination of the meeting, a much smaller group of people poured out of the meeting house, put on Mohawk Indian costumes, and dumped out 342 chests of tea into the water. Those involved in this incident were sworn to secrecy, and the individuals involved are unknown. At least one contemporary account suggests that Sam Adams tried to stop people from leaving the hall since the meeting was not over. No one was shot or attacked on the ships. Sam Adams was not at the harbor, and his complicity in the planning of the event is still hotly debated.

Regardless of whether he assisted in planning the event, he certainly worked to publicize it afterward. At no time were there ever any redcoats that had to be convinced not to shoot at Sam Adams (who wasn’t there) or the Bostonians in costumes. Similarly, those participating in the incident did not threaten to shoot others. History Channels “Sons of Liberty:” The Boston Tea Party is portrayed as a tax protest against the crown. Reality: The 1773 Tea Act actually lessened taxes on tea. The actual resentment shown by the patriots was related to the purchase mandate that was attached to the tea, which forced people to purchase it from the British East India Company. Since the company was struggling and on the verge of bankruptcy, the British government awarded the British East India the exclusive right of privilege in North America (a monopoly), and the colonists were indignant about being forced to purchase the tea from a particular firm. Certainly, taxation without Parliamentary representation was controversial, but in this case the objections were focused squarely against the mercantile economic system of Britain.

History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Benjamin Franklin urges London not to react strongly in retribution toward Massachusetts, calling the destruction of the tea a “protest.” He suggestions that the colonists are justified in their behavior because of the purchase mandate on the tea. He warns the British Prime Minister that if Massachusetts is dealt with harshly, the inhabitants would be considered as “sons of liberty.” Reality: Benjamin Franklin urged Massachusetts to pay for the destroyed tea. He criticized the Bostonians for destroying private property, and wrote that it was “impossible to justify.” He wrote that paying for the tea would be “no dishonor” and that he hoped there would not be any other “compulsive measures” to destroy private property. While Benjamin Franklin later sided with independence efforts (and signed the Declaration of Independence), at this point he urged for peaceful resolutions with Britain and the East India Company, refusing to justify the destruction of the tea. While Franklin empathized with his countrymen’s qualms, he did not attempt to rationalize their behavior in this matter. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Gage arrives in Massachusetts to relieve Hutchinson and take charge of military affairs.

Reality: Gage had actually been in America since 1763-1773. He did take a trip back to England but returned in 1774, when he actually did relieve Hutchinson. He was familiar with America, his children grew up in America, and he married a woman from New Jersey. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Formation of the Committee of Correspondence, and establishment of a Massachusetts Provincial Congress either do not occur, or are too insignificant to cover. Instead, fictional incidents related to redcoat brutality are featured. Reality: These two situations are substantial successes of the Sons of Liberty and whig leaders. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress was a calculated attempt to resist the Massachusetts Government Act (part of the Coercive Acts), which reformed the government and provided the king with the full authority to appoint members to its executive council. To resist this, a new government was formed with John Hancock as its president, and the body exercised de facto control over Massachusetts. Additionally, some of the main characters play a part. The Committee of Correspondence was formed by Joseph Warren and Samuel Adams with the aim of disseminating ideas and educating the people on the constitutional transgressions of the British government.

Legitimate disputes against British policy were raised, and strong legal arguments were made. It allowed for a coordinated response to British activities, helped arrange boycotts, and set the stage for independence. Later, it facilitated communication with the Committees of Correspondence in other states and provided intelligence that helped win the war. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Gage takes over Hancock’s home, quartering soldiers there. Reality: Hancock’s home on Beacon Hill was not taken by the British until 1775, after Hancock and Adams had fled and were gone for months. The 1774 Quartering Act, which was passed in reaction to the tea incident, was a malicious and unauthoritative act. The show never makes any reference to the fact that this practice was specifically outlawed and unconstitutional in the British constitutional system. Since the 1628 Petition of Right, the government was prohibited from billeting/quartering soldiers in civilian households during times of war. The show implies that there was disdain toward this practice, but it seems to be misdirected and the viewer is never elucidated on why it was considered such a transgression.

History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” George Washington, appearing at the First Continental Congress, calls Thomas Gage a “cancer” who responds with “brutality.” Reality: For George Washington to call Thomas Gage a “cancer,” especially in the time portrayed, is laughable. Washington maintained a longtime friendship with Gage, having served with him during the French and Indian War. Gage and Washington were on friendly terms, and Washington even dined with him. Denying his respect and admiration for the man is ridiculous, and in 1774 it is clear that Washington thought quite highly of him. The two significant outcomes of the First Continental Congress were to call for a boycott on British goods, and to arrange for a secondary Congress to meet the next year. At this stage, many delegates advocated for a peaceful negotiation with the crown, favored petitioning for a redress of grievances, believed the woes facing Massachusetts were a local/state matter, and refrained from endorsing hostile policy toward the British. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Thomas Gage is a ruthless, brutal oppressor who has a disdain for the colonists.

He does not consider them Englishmen, and believes that strict reprisal is necessary to quell the rebellious tendencies of the agitators in Massachusetts. He takes a strict position toward insubordination, orders a civilian to be whipped for stealing goods from a British ship. Reality: Thomas Gage was not ruthless, and he had a deep concern for producing a peaceful remedy to conflict in Massachusetts. He married a woman from New Jersey, lived in the states for a long time, and he owned a lot of American property. Also, Gage actually allowed Revere to observe his troops and interfere with British military practices. This disgusted some of his subordinates, who thought Gage was being far too lenient with Revere and others. Gage also did not punish civilians for theft, and never ordered a civilian to be whipped. The British constitutional system called for a separation between military and civilian justice, and Gage realized he had no authority to punish civilians. He did have the power to punish his own soldiers for bad behavior, and he did so several times. He never engaged in brutality against civilians as depicted. In comparison British commanders that in engaged in actual brutality, such as Banastre Tarleton, Gage was compassionate.

Gage was something of an idealist, but he had a vested interest in the colonies and their well-being. There were many legitimate qualms the colonists had against the Parliamentary Acts and British policy toward the colonies, but Gage’s aggression was not one of them. By any definition, Thomas Gage was one of the more respectable military commanders the British had, because of his honest attempt to seek nonviolent mediation and produce a positive result. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Adams and Hancock meet a man in attempt to acquire a cache of guns and men to fire them. This is considered a necessary step for confronting the British and their hostility to liberty. Reality: Massachusetts had a regular militia for at least 100 years, which drilled regularly as prescribed by law. They trained openly, and the British were familiar with the practice. During this timeframe, arms were not prohibited, and each citizen had the right to keep arms and ammunition, which had been recognized by the British and codified into their constitutional system by the 1689 English Bill of Rights. Gage did not make any attempt to stop militia drills, and actually urged his own soldiers not to make any flagrant movements or create the appearance of interrupting drills.

History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Thomas Gage’s wife, Margaret Gage, conducts an affair with Dr. Joseph Warren and provides him with knowledge of the upcoming raid on Lexington and Concord. Reality: There is absolutely no evidence that indicates Margaret Gage and Joseph Warren had an affair. There is also no hard evidence that Margaret Gage tipped of Warren and alerted him to the raid of Lexington and Concord, although some speculated that she was a spy and did so. While there is nothing more than circumstantial claims regarding this incident, Margaret Gage was sent back to England by her husband a few months after the battle. Episode 3: “Independence” History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Samuel Adams and John Hancock are shown participating in the Battle of Lexington. Adams utilizes some battlefield heroics to save Hancock as he is being attacked by a redcoat. Reality: Both Samuel Adams and John Hancock were not on/near the battlefield. Gage’s objective was to seize armaments supplies that were being stored in Concord. While accounts differ, some contemporary accounts suggest that Gage ordered his men to arrest both Adams and Hancock.

Whether or not this was the case, Paul Revere warned both men that the troops were on the march and that Gage may arrest them. While John Hancock wished to be at the battlefield, several of his friends, along with Adams, convinced him that it was unnecessary given his status as a patriot figurehead. Both men escaped from the area. After the battle, Gage made an unambiguous proclamation that those who did not resist the British would be spared, with the exception of Adams and Hancock. Historian Mercy Otis Warren wrote that Gage’s announcement added to the fame of both men. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Major Pitcairn sinks his knife into the wound of a minuteman, causing him to suffer immensely. Pitcairn orders him to be killed because he would not offer the location of Adams and Hancock. Reality: No such thing happened. This scene apparently serves no purpose other than to demonize Pitcairn. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” John Hancock rides to visit Samuel Adams and Joseph Warren at a campsite. He notifies the two that a second Continental Congress had been called in response to the situation in Lexington and Concord.

Reality: Actually, the decision to call a second Continental Congress was already made during the culmination of the first, in the fall of 1774. The resolution called for the Second Continental Congress to meet on May 10, 1775. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” The Massachusetts delegation visits Benjamin Franklin at his home. In doing so, they interrupt him paying a prostitute for her services. He alleges that the delegation’s aims seemed to not be for independence, but to forge a new country. Franklin calls this belief crazy but commends this opinion, saying that it was his vision as well. Reality: Benjamin Franklin was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, even though he was struggling with health issues at the time. While he did favor a failed plan for a national association under the crown earlier in his life (The 1754 Albany Plan), this aim failed. By all accounts, the primary objective of the Second Continental Congress was to debate how to respond to the situation in Massachusetts and how to respond to the British government.

As the proceedings in the convention commenced, it was clear that the colonies eventually expressed a candid desire to retain their own colonial legislature and for decisions to be made by local government, not to forge a new nation. In the 1776 Declaration of Independence that was signed later, the last paragraph makes known that each state in North America (as compared to the state of Great Britain) were free an independent states, each with independent powers. Effectively, it was a declaration of secession that enumerated the causes that impelled the states to depart. The Confederation government under the Articles of Confederation, which created a loose confederation of states, did even not go into effect until 1781. The Treaty of Paris, that officially ended the war, was not made between Britain and America as a whole, but between Britain and the individual states. The reality is that the colonial struggle for independence was not a calculated attempt to institutionalize a modern nation. While the struggle is often deemed a revolution, it is more accurate to say it was a war for independence. Simply put, “creating a new country” was not an aim of the struggle from the perspective of the state delegations.

It is true that Benjamin Franklin was known for being shameless regarding his own sexuality, but there is no evidence that he paid prostitutes for their services. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” Gage takes command at Bunker Hill. After a hard fought battle, he approaches Joseph Warren on the battlefield and shoots him in the head from behind, execution style. Afterward, he orders his soldiers to mutilate Warren’s body. Later, Gage announces to his wife that Warren is dead, and that he was personally responsible for Warren’s death. He declares that she will head to England on the next ship. Reality: William Howe had arrived by this time and taken control of the British Army, and was personally responsible for the frontal assaults. Warren was at the battle, but Gage did not shoot him or order his body to be mutilated. Instead, he was killed instantly by a shot to the head. It is true that his body was mutilated several times following the battle, but not by the order of Gage. His body was not recovered until months later, when it was confirmed by the presence of an artificial tooth. Since Gage did not kill Warren, he did not announce to his wife that he did so.

History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” George Washington declares that he will confront the British in Massachusetts himself, and asks if there are any objections. Washington leaves the Philadelphia State House. Reality: Washington actually arrived in Philadelphia donning military garb, signifying his belief that war would come. Instead of pledging to confront Howe in response to Bunker Hill, he was nominated to lead the Continental Army on June 14 by John Adams, which was before the battle. He was unanimously appointed the Commander in Chief of all Continental forces the next day, also prior to the Battle of Bunker Hill. At this point, most of the convention hoped for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Even after the Battle of Bunker Hill, Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson wrote the Olive Branch Petition, which aimed to present a list of grievances to the king in hopes that he would intervene and restore order and the liberty of the colonists. The king rejected the petition without reading it, considering an irrelevant request from an illegitimate assembly. Still, Dickinson clung to hope for a year that the king would bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” George Washington, in assuming his new role, meets with Thomas Gage.

Gage demands safe passage to Boston, saying if he does not receive it he will “burn Boston to the ground.” Washington reluctantly agrees. Upon departure, Gage insults Washington and reminds him that he never achieved the British commission Washington once hoped for. Reality: This scene is pure fiction. Washington’s chief task at Cambridge was to assume more supplies. He achieved this with the assistance of France and from raids focused on British arsenals. He forced the British to retreat in May of 1776 by successfully reorganizing the army, obtaining needed supplies, and by placing artillery on Dorchester Heights, a series of low hills surrounding Boston. This was seen as a minor victory, but the fighting was far from over. Washington moved his army to New York, where William Howe was poised to launch a massive strike designed to take the city. History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty:” The Massachusetts delegation and Benjamin Franklin has a meeting in a room, where Franklin suggests that a declaration that announces independence should be crafted. John Adams announces that he has someone in mind to write the document. Jefferson is approached about the idea. Samuel Adams makes a passionate speech in favor of independence just prior to the vote.

Dickinson leaves the hall frustrated, allowing Benjamin Franklin to cast Pennsylvania’s vote in favor. John Hancock signs the declaration in large letters, saying that his intention was for King George III to see his writing. The rest of the delegation signs the declaration. The rest of the delegates affix their signature to the declaration. Washington reads the document to the Continental Army. Reality: A special Committee was formed by John Adams to discuss independence while the Continental Congress was on recess. The assembly had already heard a proposal for a resolution that called for independence (called the Richard Henry Lee resolution), but most states did had not received instructions from their home legislatures approving independence. It was Adams that reasoned that Thomas Jefferson should write the document, not Franklin. Adams’ reasons for this were threefold: 1) Jefferson was a Virginian, the most powerful and influential colony, who Adams thought should be involved with the effort, 2) That Jefferson had an eloquent pen, and 3) that Jefferson was not unpopular and distrusted, unlike how Adams perceived himself. Before the Richard Henry Lee resolution passed on July 2, Jefferson crafted the document over a two week period while staying in Philadelphia.

It was Virginia’s instructions to its delegation that called for independence: Virginia had already kicked their royal governor out of the state, crafted a declaration of rights, and codified a new government under the Virginia Constitution of 1776. It was John Adams, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Roger Sherman who discussed Jefferson’s draft before presenting it to the convention as a whole. There is no record that confirms such a speech was made by Samuel Adams just prior to the vote for independence. Contrary to the show, both Dickinson and Robert Morris of the Pennsylvania delegation abstained, allowing the remainder of the delegation (3 representatives) to vote in favor, not just Franklin. The myth that Hancock suggested that he signed the document large so that the king could see his writing is a commonly repeated myth, and a classic tall tale. There are two plausible explanations as to why Hancock’s signature is featured larger and more prominently than his peers: 1) at the time of the signing, he was the President of the Continental Congress, and 2) Hancock was most likely the only person to sign the document in July of 1776. After signing, he provided a broadside to his printer friend so that copies were made.

The rest of the signatories to the document did not affix their names to the broadsides until August, almost a full month later. Conclusions: The relevant omissions are glaring and significant. In a series about a group dedicated to the preservation of liberty, and the disposition that natural rights exist and are worth defending, the show does an efficient job of ignoring these themes completely. Instead of focusing on policy, the show becomes an antagonist/protagonist quarrel rather than an indictment upon government overreach and unconstitutional policy. The contrived scenes are sometimes laughable, sometimes insulting. The show ignores the legitimate arguments against the unconstitutional policy of the crown, while overemphasizing the dispute as a personal vendetta between Thomas Gage and the patriots. The characters are marginalized into caricatures, despite their historical charisma. I believe they could have been portrayed in an interesting light without the need for reinvention and bastardization. This was done to a reasonable extent in the HBO miniseries on John Adams. I am of the valuation that despite History’s disclaimer on their site, the show does not cover “real events” but instead marginalizes real events to create a narrative that does not recognize the constitutional quandary of the time.

Instead of “capturing the spirit of the times,” it paints a portrait inconsistent with the spirit of the times by omitting important and relevant information. Furthermore, it assists with the perpetuation of myths, imparts falsities into the public psyche, and engages in character assassinations of Samuel Adams, Thomas Gage, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and others. The real Sons of Liberty were a group that accepted natural law, believed contemporary British policy was unconstitutional, and denied that their state was bound by Parliamentary acts. Rather than be confined to caricatures, their antagonism sparked a movement and changed the world. History’s disclaimer adopts the position that this show is “historical fiction.” But it is has been exactly this type of work, and narratives like it, that has overtaken historical truth through the years. Fiction has entered the cultural narrative, and it deserves to be corrected. This series promises to perpetuate myths rather than to encourage us to learn more about our history and heritage. Genealogy Projects: Sons_of_liberty Before the Revolution: Boston Tea Party (1773) No taxation without representation!

The Boston Tea Party , an iconic event along the road toward the American Revolution, was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts against the tax policy of the British government and the East India Company which controlled all the tea imported to the colonies. Officals in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to B... Tags: Sons of Liberty | American History | 1765 Green Dragon Tavern, Union Street, 1898. Boston Public Library. Sons of Liberty: The Masterminds of the Boston Tea Party The Sons of Liberty, a well-organized Patriot paramilitary political organization shrouded in secrecy, was established to undermine British rule in colonial America and was influential in organizing and carrying out the Boston Tea Party . The origins and founding of the Sons of Liberty is unclear, but history records the earliest known references to the organization to 1765 in the thriving colonial port cities of Boston and New York. More than likely, the Boston and New York chapters of the Sons of Liberty were deliberately established at the same time and worked as an underground network in conjunction with each other.

It is believed the Sons of Liberty was formed out of earlier smaller scale like-minded Patriot organizations such as the “Boston Caucus Club” and “Loyal Nine.” Membership was made up of males from all walks of colonial society but was notorious in recruiting tavern mongers, wharf rats, and other seedy characters looking to cause trouble. Under the cover of darkness, the Boston chapter of the organization held their meetings under the “Liberty Tree,” and the New York chapter under the “Liberty Pole.” The “Liberty Tree” was located in Hanover Square, “the most public part” of Boston and was a 120-year-old “stately elm” with branches that “seem’d to touch the skies” according to the Boston Gazette. Taverns, with owners sympathetic to the Patriot cause, were also the favorite meeting places of the Sons of Liberty. The Green Dragon Tavern in Boston was the tavern of choice for meetings of the Sons of Liberty. Despite very little documentary evidence as to the origins of the organization, Boston Patriot Samuel Adams is often credited as being the founder and leader of the Sons of Liberty.

The Sons of Liberty was most likely organized in the summer of 1765 as a means to protest the passing of the Stamp Act of 1765. Their motto was, “No taxation without representation.” “The Sons of Liberty on the 14th of August 1765, a Day which ought to be for ever remembered in America, animated with a zeal for their country then upon the brink of destruction, and resolved, at once to save her…” ~ From a 1765 Boston Gazette article written by Samuel Adams referring to the anti-Stamp Act activists for the first time in print as “Sons of Liberty” The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring and Feathering, 1774. Library of Congress. “These Sons of Liberty” The name Sons of Liberty was derived from a 1765 debate in Parliament over the Stamp Act. During the debate, Stamp Act supporter Charles Townshend made a disapproving statement of the American colonists. Irishman and Member of Parliament, Isaac Barré, stood up and defended the American colonists.

He was reprimanded for positively speaking in favor of them calling the colonists “these Sons of Liberty.” Being an Irishman, Barré shared many of the same views as the American colonists and was an advocate for their cause. Additionally, Barré had served in North America as a Colonel in the British Army during the French and Indian War . The debate took stock in the colonies, and the name was admirably used by the Patriot organization. Incited by the Sons of Liberty, thousands gathered and a sign was placed on the effigy of Andrew Oliver declaring, “He that takes this down is an enemy to his country.” The riotous, angry, and alcohol fueled crowd paraded the effigy through the streets of Boston inciting supporters of the Patriot cause throughout the city. Boston’s Tumultuous August of 1765 The first major action of the Sons of Liberty was carried out in Boston on August 14, 1765, in response to the Stamp Act. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty gathered under the “Liberty Tree” where effigies of Andrew Oliver, a public official in charge of enforcing the Stamp Act in Massachusetts, and related offenders of the people’s liberties hung.

Incited by the Sons of Liberty, thousands gathered and a sign was placed on the effigy of Andrew Oliver declaring, “He that takes this down is an enemy to his country.” The riotous, angry, and alcohol-fueled crowd paraded the effigy through the streets of Boston inciting supporters of the Patriot cause throughout the city. Soon mob rule was the order of the day, and the effigy was stomped-on, beheaded, and ultimately burned in a fit of anger. The crowd, with the Sons of Liberty leading the way, marched on the home of Andrew Oliver. The fence around Oliver’s home was torn down, windows were smashed, furnishings destroyed, and the home looted – most notably Oliver’s personal wine cellar. The ironic truth of the matter was Andrew Oliver privately was not a proponent of the Stamp Act. Rather, he was an obvious and easy target for the Sons of Liberty to take out their anger over the Stamp Act and accuse him of duplicity. As a result, on August 17, Oliver publicy resigned his commission and on December 17, the Sons of Liberty made him publicly swear an oath he would never again serve as a stamp master.

It is unknown if Samuel Adams played a role in the organization and leading of the events of August 14, 1765, but by the days immediately following, he was known as a prominent leader of the organization. The Son’s of Liberty and the Stamp Act The Sons of Liberty next took their anger over the Stamp Act to the brother-in-law of Andrew Oliver, Thomas Hutchinson, the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of Massachusetts. By the time of the Stamp Act, Hutchinson was not very popular with many people of Boston. He was a known Loyalist, and a year earlier he published a history of Massachusetts condemning the 1689 revolt by Boston citizens against the rule of then unpopular governor Sir Edmund Andros. On the evening of August 15, 1765, the Sons of Liberty and others blockaded the Boston brick mansion of Hutchinson and demanded he denounce the Stamp Act in his official letters to London. In typical Loyalist fashion, Hutchinson refused. In response, on the night of August 26, a mob organized by the Sons of Liberty attacked Hutchinson’s mansion.

The front door was knocked down with felling axes, the interior of the mansion was thoroughly looted and destroyed including all of the finely crafted woodwork and wainscoting, and the extensive garden was uprooted. In a struggle pitting anti-Hutchinson against pro-Hutchinson supporters, which turned into a violent brawl through the night, the mansion’s cupola was taken down and destroyed. In addition to scores of irreplaceable and costly damages, all of Hutchinson’s fine silver and £900 sterling in cash were looted and carried off by the Sons of Liberty. At the time, it was estimated £2,200 worth of damage was caused by the Patriots on the night of August 26. Hutchinson later received more than £3,000 for reimbursement for the damages from Massachusetts and relocated himself and his family to Castle William in Boston Harbor.

The seminal act and lasting legacy of the Sons of Liberty to the history of the American Revolution was the December 16, 1773 orchestrating of the Boston Tea Party… The Sons of Liberty and the American Revolution As tensions in the American colonies intensified on the eve of the Revolution , chapters of the Sons of Liberty were formed all over the Thirteen Colonies, notably throughout New England, Virginia, and the Carolinas – a far cry from the two original chapters formed in Boston and New York City in the summer of 1765. The Sons of Liberty adopted in 1767 a five red and four white vertical striped flag as their organization’s formal standard. The Sons of Liberty were influential in orchestrating effective resistance movements against British rule in colonial America on the eve of the Revolution, primarily against what they perceived as unfair taxation and financial limitations imposed upon them. Through the use of mob rule, tactics of fear, force, intimidation, and violence such as tar and feathering, and the stockpiling of arms, shot, and gun powder, the Sons of Liberty effectively undermined British rule, paving the way to America’s independence.

The Sons of Liberty as an organization disbanded at the close of the American Revolution and as a political entity was replaced early in the Revolution by the more formal and qualified Committees of Safety. The seminal act and lasting legacy of the Sons of Liberty to the history of the American Revolution was the December 16, 1773 orchestrating of the Boston Tea Party which ultimately led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War with the “shot heard round the world” on April 19, 1775. The Boston Tea Party, carried out by the Sons of Liberty and led by Samuel Adams, was a catalyst for the start of war and a principal reason why the Revolutionary War began in Massachusetts. Museum Contributor This page was developed with the help of one of our great cast members here at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum®. The Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party “Boston Harbor’s a teapot tonight!” – Anonymous. The Boston Tea Party is considered one of the most blatant protests in American British colonies’ history. The Party demonstrated a rebellious act against the King of England in reaction to the Tea Tax. The “Party” marked the first and most destructive of numerous revolts to come.

The Boston Tea Party created the world’s largest “cup of tea,” and a beginning cause of the Revolutionary War. “If taxes are laid upon us without our being represented in Parliament, are we not reduced from free subjects to slaves?” Samuel Adams declared at a gathering. The Tea Party declared an act of protest due to the Tea Act. Although several other acts led up to the party; such as the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts, all of which placed taxes on various things, the Tea Act broke the camel’s back. The Sugar Act passed in 1764, a tax placed on sugar; similar to the Molasses Act of 1733. Not only a tax, but also considered to be the law. The tax provided payment to the soldiers from the French and Indian War. Most Loyalists and Neutralists were fine with the tax and understanding of Parliament’s motives, but the Patriots and some others were completely against it. The Stamp Act, passed in 1765, placed a tax on everyday items. This act placed taxes on such items as marriage licenses, newspapers, and educational diplomas. All of the colonies sent representatives to Parliament in protest resulting in Parliament repealing the act.

Also, it served as the first direct tax. Later on, the Townshend Acts, originating from Charles Townshend, were passed by Parliament in 1767. These acts placed taxes on glass, lead, and paint. They were put in place for the colonists to pay for the British Army. This act led to the first boycott. The boycott decreased British trade and in 1770 most of the Acts were repealed, but retention of the tea tax caused the Boston Tea Party . The Boston Tea Party took place at the Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts on December 16, 1773, lasting three hours, from seven o’clock until 10 o’clock. The “Party” actually occurred at Griffin’s Warf, but it no longer exists due to landfills. The three ships that were robbed were; the Dartmouth captained by Captain Hall, the Eleanor captained by Captain Bruce, and the Beaver captained by Captain Coffin. The three tea ships had arrived but remained loaded for the Patriots would not allow the tea to be unloaded without the agreement that no tax would be paid on it but Governor Hutchinson would not let the ships leave without first paying duties.

Upon the arrival of the three tea ships, Samuel Adams ordered Francis Rotch, a part owner of the Dartmouth, to visit the governor and request permission to return the Dartmouth’s cargo of tea to England. Surprisingly, Rotch was allowed several hours to make the trip, and was to return at 3 P.M. But with the lights dimming and dusk falling, so did the hopes of the Patriots; because there was no sign of Rotch. “The governor…has refused to allow my ship to sail with its cargo,” a chilled Rotch declared in Old South at 5:45. The immediate response to Rotch’s news was to form a mob. “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!” Samuel Adams said with a quavering voice. These famous words were met by a war whoop from the gallery, which was answered in the opening of the front door to about fifty men poorly disguised in Mohawk Indians costumes carrying hatchets. After boarding the boats, the men marched down Milk Street to the waterfront in double columns. While the men dumped the tea into the water, a group of Patriot supporters cheered the “Indians” on during the destruction of the tea.

The uproar from Old South became so loud, that the people living in houses several blocks away ran out to see what caused the commotion! “You’d have thought that the inhabitants of the infernal regions had broke loose!” John Andrews said after nearly being trampled by the crowd. Three hundred and forty-two containers of tea were thrown into the Harbor; each weighing 400 pounds. The total amount of destroyed tea equaled 90,000 lbs. (45 tons) and valued at 10,000 British pounds, or one million dollars in today’s money. After all the destruction, even though violence occurred, the only damage done aside from the tea resulted in a single padlock being broken. Years of tension were released between England and America on that night and would change the course of history. Collectively the Patriots who participated in the “Party” called themselves the “Sons of Liberty,” and a total of 116 participated. The Patriots formed the “Sons” as an underground organization of American Patriots striving for the American colonies’ independence.

The more popular members of the “Sons” included: Samuel Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Thomas Young; although not all of them participated in the “Party.” The whole instigation of the “Party” came down to Samuel Adams, and some of the “Sons.” After the party, saltwater tea came in with the tide for several weeks in Boston. In a show of support; a number of people in Boston gave up drinking tea after the event. The term “taxation without representation” originated from the “Party.” After the “Tea Party” the Coercive Acts were passed making the colonists pay for the destroyed tea, but due to their refusal Boston Harbor “had to be” shut down! All in all the Boston Tea Party became one of the assorted events that sparked the American Revolution of 1775. The Boston Tea Party displayed a reactionary protest to acts passed by Parliament including the Tea Act, the Stamp Act, and the Sugar Act.

It was carried out by a large group of men, led by Samuel Adams, known by the name, “The Sons of Liberty.” It caused a tremendous uproar and in reaction to it Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, which ignited the spark that turned into the flame, the Boston Tea Party, that framed the Revolutionary War. So plainly, the Boston Tea Party was indeed a major incident having to do with the Revolutionary War. 1000+ images about Boston Tea Party on Pinterest | Activities, Thomas jefferson and Boston Forward Boston Tea Party was on December 16, 1773. Colonists got a little too vexed by the Tea Act, so as a major protest, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians and dumped thousands of gallons of tea into the Boston Harbor. This tea was from the British East India Tea Company. The British Officials were outraged. They spent a lot of time thinking of a way of punishing ONLY Massachusets. See More

Question: What rebellious event was organised in 1773 by the Sons of Liberty as a protest against taxation without representation?
Answer: Boston Tea Party